Call on Teacher Union Leadership to Join Parents Fighting for School Reform

The entire community -- including parents -- should be empowered to improve our public schools.

In 2010, parents in California pushed for a major reform of the state education system and succeeded in passing a "parent trigger" law that empowers California parents to force reforms in failing public schools.

If 51% of parents in a school district sign a petition, they can change a school's administration, invite a proven charter operator to take over, or take other measures to put the school back on a path to success.

While concerned parents and teachers in other states have taken up the fight to bring similar "parent trigger" laws to their communities, the leadership of the American Federation of Teachers strategized on how to ensure those efforts failed.

A leaked PowerPoint showed that AFT leaders worked to undermine the work of parent and teacher reformers by pressuring vulnerable legislators. They bragged about their plan to "kill" proposed parent trigger legislation and replace it with toothless alternatives which give parents no real power.

Empowered parents, good teachers and concerned members of the community are coming together around the country to fix our broken schools. Teacher union leaders should be part of the solution to reform our education system, not working to block it.

Take action today and call on teacher union leaders to fight alongside parents trying to improve education for all children.

Parents across the country are pushing for "parent trigger" laws that empower them to make changes in failing public schools. Rather than trying to undermine these efforts, AFT and other teachers union leaders should work alongside parents to reform failing schools.